Battle of three sunblocks: Which will win?

Summer and sunblock go hand in hand — it’s hard to live under an umbrella on gorgeous days. Most sunscreens don’t irritate my body, but sunscreen that doesn’t cause blocked pores and facial blemishes, especially while I’m exercising, has been tougher to find.

I recently conducted an unofficial experiment with three brands of sunscreen. Here’s how I fared.

The first was Skinceuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 (1.7 oz, $34), recommended to me by a facialist and a plastic surgeon in San Francisco. It’s a thin, lightly tinted beige liquid (it comes in only one hue) that spreads sheer, with a powdery finish. (It contains Z-Cote transparent zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.) I wore it on a recent trip to the Caribbean (12 degrees above the equator, the sun was fierce). I windsurfed for two hours without a hat to shield my face (or my scalp, although I did wear polarized sunglasses) and my face didn’t burn a bit. Even after reapplying several times throughout the day, I had no visible blemishes.

The second was Algenist Repairing Tint & Radiance Moisturizer SPF 30 (1.35 oz, $42), which comes in four colors (light, light/medium, medium and tan). It squeezes from the tube in a thick coil and has a slightly pasty consistency but spreads fairly well (although it is not sheer). For the past month, I have been using it on twice-weekly 4-mile runs in sunny, 75-degree weather that had me perspiring. So far, so good — I’ve had no trouble with clogged pores. (Its active ingredients include cctinoxate, octisalate, oxybenzone and titanium dioxide.) I also like the fact that, for me, the medium shade makes a good substitute for foundation. I feel good on my 45-minute commute to work, knowing I’m protecting myself from rays and reflected light in the car driving up Highway 101.

Alas, Neutrogena’s UltraSheer Face & Body Stick Broad Spectrum SPF 70 with Helioplex (1.5 oz, $10.99) did not perform well for me. It looks like a deodorant stick and applies like one, too — you rub it on your face. It feels dry to the touch, a plus for those who can’t stand the feeling of lotion on their skin. But the only time I wore it outside — gardening for several hours in the backyard one Saturday — I developed a few raised bumps on the apples of my cheeks. There’s no guarantee it happened from the Neutrogena, but it hasn’t happened since I stopped using it, either. (It contains avobenzone, homosalate, octisalate, octocyclene and oxybenzone.)

For my money, I’ll stick with Algenist — it does double duty as a makeup base and sunscreen — and didn’t yield any breakouts. With four colors, there are more options for various skin tones.

Results will vary, but one thing is for sure: You’re taking a risk with skin cancer if you don’t use any sunblock. The best product is the one you use, no matter what sunblock it is.